In the early 90s, Reagan, with his foresight, made efforts to introduce Western artistic thoughts and ideas, and explored into the reconciliation between them and Chinese native culture and society. His pink portrait series have well demonstrated his vision towards the world.

Reagan absorbs the essence of expressionism, gains inspiration from the combination of Chinese painting materials and language, and displays his innovative resources in a posture of pure expressionism. It is the very reason and passion, talent and unrestrainedness that have combined to form Reagan’s brilliant and most individualistic soul in the painting community.

Today Art Museum pays consistent attention to the up-to-date movements of overseas Chinese and returned artists, and classified them academically in a serious manner. Naturally, such a unique artist as Reagan has come under our artistic scrutiny. Our sponsorship of “Melancholy Within the Cross: Reagan’s Ink&Wash” and relevant seminars, and our compilation and publication of a large -scale painting collection by Reagan, is designed, through an in-depth discussion and display of Li’s art practice, to further explore how Chinese artists, when dislodged from the current Chinese historical context, can find globalized drive for innovation and seek after more possible directions. Focusing on individual cases, considering “the current art” from a historical perspective, defining the connection and difference between individual cases and the whole picture--the approach of regarding the environment as the dominant factor, we believe, is feasible in considering the logic of art development.

-Today Art Museum

Image: © Reagan Lee
Courtesy of the artist and Today Art Museum